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This article will cover how to crack Windows 2000/XP passwords with only physical access to the target box. I won't be covering into the internal structure of LM and NTLM hashes or what makes them so insecure, there are many other articles on the Internet that cover the basics of NT security so I would recommend that you Google for them. I will assume that the reader already knows the basics. There are a lot of articles floating around that tell interested parties how to use programs like PWdump to get NT password hashes. Using PWDump is what most folks recommend when Syskey is enabled on a system since the hashes in the SAM file are encrypted. The problem is PWdump only works if you can run it from an administrator level account, and if the reason an attacker is cracking the hashes in the first place is to get an administrator account then PWdump is of little use.           Another question I get is why crack the password at all since one can get access to t...

The OSI model is used to define the functions of networking hardware/software, regardless of equipment, vendor or application. The OSI model is a stack of seven layers. Layers one through three are known as the media layers. They define hardware orientation such as routing, switching and cable specifications. Layers four through seven are known as the host layers. They define software that implements network services. Each of the OSI layers has a broad set of protocols and standards. It is important for techs to know and understand the inner workings of these layers if they are to be serious about working with, and troubleshooting networks, the equipment and services on those networks. Let us take a brief look at the seven layers of the OSI model: 7. Application Layer – This is how the user accesses data on the network via items such as email, FTP file transfer and databases. (Example: One computer requests information from another computer over the Internet using Hypertext Tran...

The LM authentication protocol, also known as LAN Manager and LANMAN, was invented by IBM and used extensively by Microsoft operating systems prior to NT 4.0. It uses a password encrypting technology that is now considered insecure. LM works by creating a "hash" of your password, as follows: Breaking the password into seven-character chunks: If the password length is not a multiple of seven (i.e., 7, 14, 21, 28...), LM pads the remainder of each chunk with zeroes to make it a full seven bytes long. For example, a ten-letter-long password would be divided into a seven-character-long chunk and a three-character-long one, and the smaller one would have zeroes added to it to push it up to seven characters. Mapping all lowercase letters into uppercase: For example, Dog becomes DOG. Encrypting each chunk: LM uses each chunk as a 56-bit DES (a standardized cipher standard) key to encrypt the following string: KGS!@#$%. Concatenating those strings (i.e., linking them end-to-end). Re...

The LM authentication protocol, also known as LAN Manager and LANMAN, was invented by IBM and used extensively by Microsoft operating systems prior to NT 4.0. It uses a password encrypting technology that is now considered insecure. LM works by creating a "hash" of your password, as follows: Breaking the password into seven-character chunks: If the password length is not a multiple of seven (i.e., 7, 14, 21, 28...), LM pads the remainder of each chunk with zeroes to make it a full seven bytes long. For example, a ten-letter-long password would be divided into a seven-character-long chunk and a three-character-long one, and the smaller one would have zeroes added to it to push it up to seven characters. Mapping all lowercase letters into uppercase: For example, Dog becomes DOG. Encrypting each chunk: LM uses each chunk as a 56-bit DES (a standardized cipher standard) key to encrypt the following string: KGS!@#$%. Concatenating those strings (i.e., linking them end-to-e...

Starting with the next major update, which is Windows 10 19H1, Microsoft is making a few changes to how Windows 10 manages disk space. Some disk space, reserved storage, will be set aside to be used by updates, apps, temporary files, and system caches. Here's how to reduce the size of the Reserved Storage. Windows 10 will reserve some disk space to ensure that critical OS functions always have access to disk space. If a user almost fills up her or his storage, several Windows and application scenarios become unreliable. For example, Windows Update may fail to download new update packages. Reserved storage solves this issue. It will be introduced automatically on devices that come with version 1903 pre-installed or those where 1903 was clean installed. How much of storage is reserved In the next major release of Windows (19H1), Microsoft anticipates that reserved storage will start at about 7GB, however the amount of reserved space will vary over time based on how you use your...

Local Area Network" or LAN is a term meaning "private network." The dominant set of standards for the physical properties of LANs is called Ethernet. The Ethernet standards are published by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers and periodically updated to create better performing networks. The "100" LAN refers to one of these standards. Ethernet Ethernet was originally a proprietary networking system owned by Xerox. The early Xerox standards recommended the use of coaxial cable. In 1983, the responsibility for managing the standards was handed over to the IEEE, and Ethernet became an open standard. An open standard is available to all, either free of charge, or for a subscription fee. The IEEE has since produced a number of amendments to the Ethernet standards; each carries the code 802.3, followed by one or two letters to indicate a series. Naming Convention Although the IEEE uses the 802.3 code for all its Ethernet standards, the comple...